HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Episode 7 Breakdown: EASTER EGGS and ENDING EXPLAINED

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Episode 7 of House of the Dragon shows us the deepening rift between the Greens and the Blacks. After Laena’s funeral, Aemond claims Vhagar–living up to the Targaryen name. Meanwhile, Rhaenyra’s children’s lineage is openly called into question. We break down all the easter eggs, references and this surprising twist ending!

Edited by Harriet Lengel-Enright, Randolf Nombrado, Sean Martin, and Srinidhi Rao

#HouseOfTheDragon #GameofThrones #EasterEggs

Welcome back to ScreenCrush, I’m Brian Silliman, temporarily filling in for Ryan Arey, and these are all of the Easter eggs, references, and little things that you may have missed from Episode 7 of House of the Dragon.

Laena Velaryon is dead, so naturally her funeral involves the sea. She may have died in fiery Targaryen fashion but she was born a Velaryon, and they are of a different element. On Driftmark, the seat of House Velaryon, all of the major players in the realm gather to put her to rest. No one will be at rest when they leave.

The “eternal waters” are referred to as “the dominion of the Merling King” which is a reference to a sea god in George R.R. Martin’s writing. The Velaryons claim that the Driftwood Throne (seen in this episode as well as episodes past) in the great hall of High Tide was originally gifted to them by the Merling King. A statue of this deity features in the House of Black and White in Braavos.

Otto Hightower has been invited to the funeral, and we see that it is because he is once again the Hand of the King.

When there’s talk about Velaryon blood running thick and true, and how it must never run thin, Daemon can’t help but be Daemon.

He may be done with the over-the-top nature of the ceremony, or he may be having a laugh about the two “sons” of Laenor Velaryon who are present, and are not his actual sons at all.

Ultimately, all of the salty Velaryon blood in the world is no match for the blood of the dragon. This is represented when the episode transitions from Laena’s watery coffin to the dragons flying high above it all.

When Rhaenyra tells Jace to comfort his cousins, he says that they should all be at Harrenhal dealing with the tragedy of Lyonel and Harwin, who were both burned to death an episode ago. This is a reminder for both Rhaenyra and the audience that the burning of Harrenhal is quite fresh, and that Jace knows full well that Ser Harwin was his real father.

Even so, Jace has to be reminded that relations with the Velaryons are important. Sure, that’s true enough, but Rhaenyra is starting to understand the true danger that she is in, and realizes that she is going to need all of the help she can get. If her son cozying up to his Velaryon cousins is going to secure sea power for her, then Jace had better snap to and do what he is told.

If you think that’s us reading too much into it, take a look at the reaction of these two darlings after Jace goes off to do his duty.

When we see Helaena Targaryen, she is once again toying with insects and muttering to herself. Ever the charmer, Aegon II tells his brother Aemond. Not a nice thing to say about his future wife, but Helaena is likely not an idiot at all. She could be having “dragon dreams”, something like far-seeing premonitions. We weren’t sure where the series was going with this, but things are cleared up a lot in this episode.

For one thing, take into consideration her lines from the previous episode.

She could very well be talking about Bran Stark.

It’s another line spoken by her in the previous episode that clinches this, however.

File that one away for now.

Helaena having an insect be trapped within two shells is yet another potential prophecy, especially when you consider the insect-like Ser Larys appears directly after it.

In Martin’s writing, Ser Larys will eventually become quite enmeshed with the Velaryons, and this will lead to his eventual downfall. Symbolically, the insect is being trapped into a destiny by shells, fairly obvious signs of the sea.

Fresh off of killing his own father and brother, Larys is revealed here to be the new lord of the ever-cursed Harrenhal, and his looks to Alicent make it clear he wants to be repaid for his deeds. Alicent is uneasy about it here, almost making us recall the timid girl who once bit her fingernails. This won’t be the case for long.

[anamkhan]

daemon minding his own business and not giving a fuxk until rhaenyra was about to be attacked by Crispin cole added ten years to my life. I love him sooo much.

[sonalsrivastava]

I love Rhenyra's screaming middle child.

He has 2 shots in this episode, each a millisecond long, and in each, this child screams marvelously.

[crd]

aemond’s change from an insecure child into the confident, cruel rider of vhagar was amazing; great acting

[pratikbhandari]

After I watch each episode, the next thing I want to watch is the breakdown from ScreenCrush
Thank you guys

[Megafreakx]

Laenor literally sailing away from everything reminded me of what he told Rhaenyra, "The wise sailor flees the storm as it gathers." I wonder if we will see if he comes back to help during the dance of the dragons. Also, Lena's valarian death was by fire, but she was buried at sea, just like her parents were. from both fire and sea

[DRPOOPZILLA]

This show has exceeded my expectations and I can not wait to see how they finish the first season

[mirrorrorrim]

Their was a small detail that made the funeral even sadder. When Vicerys said he was going to bed, instead of Allicent, he said Aemma. He’s losing sanity, favor, and limbs every episode. You can just tell he’s tired and just wants a family together before he passes.

It really sucks the kids were only in these two episodes, they did an amazing job of making the tension even tighter.

[nicholasgarrick]

Viserys standing up for his grandchildren was everything.

[nicholasgarrick]

Love how they changed laenor fate from the book. I'm happy he got to live the life he wanted with his lover but, Rip to the random dude they killed in the firepits lol.

[bitkower]

It's not that the show is diverging from the book, it is that the book is written (in-universe) by the maesters and the show is showing us what really happened and why the maesters recorded it as they did.

[lencisternino]

This channel has done a good job with no future spoilers. (Marriages, deaths and other hidden things).
Be careful watching this episode as he reveals who is marrying who and other semi spoilers. I stopped the video around the 4 minute mark.

[SXRomeo]

We saw Dreamfyre and Sunfyre this episode!

Helena gives a bit more foreshadowing for later on this episode, in the beginning (when playing with the spider) saying "Hand turns loom; spool of Green, spool of Black; dragons of flesh; weaving dragons of thread " Later in the episode we see Aemond (Greens) and Rhaenyra (Blacks) both getting sutures (loom), being dragons (Targaryens) of flesh.

Also, the dialogue in this episode all felt very poetic for some reason, not sure the writer was different.

Lastly, the kid playing Aemond did an amazing job, showing both his shy and nicer side before getting Vhagar (he looked like he had compassion for Baela and Rhaena during the scene after the funeral, without speaking a word to them), and finding his own after getting her.

[drbingogh]

Doug getting anxious in the start of these kill me. Good dog Doug, good dog.

[nicholasgarrick]

Aemond riding vhagar like a boss has to be one of the high lights of the season.
Please we wanna to see sunfyre🐉🔥

[williamwalsh]

I'm picturing Ryan saddling up on Doug looking like Radahn on his tiny horse. Mighty is Doug! Tiny, but mighty!

[bereniceguzman]

The way in episode 4 Alicent tells Rhaenyra that her family has weird customs (being between families) and now her children are engaged to each other 😂 better if she had accepted her daughter's engagement to her nephew, at least there they were a little further away

[aerinellis]

The file not found about the Velaryons was BRUTAL 🤣

[havok]

Vaemond was talking about blood at the funeral because he has a claim to Driftmark. He was taking a not so subtle dig at Rhaenrya and her sons.

[derekp]

How they handled Laenor was a rare occasion in media where TV bested the book. I really liked it. A great episode.

[NunDePlume]

“And this will lead to his eventual downfall” isn’t the type of spoiler I was expecting. Now I’m going to be thinking about that every time I see him.